Death God Application: Aithne

--BASICS--
Name: Aithne, but will give a different name to almost everyone she meets, typically mythical or legendary cats, or foreign words for "cat", either pronounced properly or mispronounced with local phonics.

Age: Physical characteristics of a 2-year-old cat, likely much older.

Sex: female

Race: Cat Sidhe (say: "caught shee"), a fey cat


--APPEARANCE--
Height: 11"

Length: 20"

Weight: 10 lbs.

Build: sleek, but disguised by fluff

Skin: not visible

Hair: mid-length, black, with a white patch on the chest

Eyes: yellow-green

Other defining features: Irish accent, left pawed

Clothing: none


--PERSONALITY--
Overview: As a baseline, Aithne is quiet, calm, and well-mannered, putting on a charming facade of sweetness and helpfulness. This isn't to say she can't be sweet and helpful, just that she always presents herself this way at first, regardless of her real intentions.

It is often impossible to discern if she means anything she says. Her speech is saturated with jokes, insincere or even backhanded compliments, stories which may or may not be true, technically true but deceptively worded statements, or just outright lies. Though mockery is certainly a part of it, whether this spawns from disdain or simply her own sense of humor is vague, and generally varies depending on to whom she is speaking.

Simultaneously excitable and patient, Aithne jumps wholeheartedly into things that interest her, but is prepared to sit still for hours, and wait months for results. She shifts gears emotionally at the drop of a hat, going from contented calm to panicked to furious and back to calm again in the space of a few seconds.

When actively on the hunt, her face and demeanor turn to the blank stillness of focus. Perched perfectly still and observing her target, many can find it quite unnerving.

Loves: Hunting, warmth, quiet, soft music, chess, riddles, mental challenges in general, exploiting the gullible.

Hates: Loud noise, especially staccato noises, people changing things for foolish reasons, those who do not learn, fey who are still hung up on Man destroying nature, or who think that magical pranks and changelings are going to turn things back. Being wet makes her uncomfortable, but that won't stand in her way.

Fears: Iron, being attacked by things much larger than herself (i. e. humans, though she'll never let on this), demons and other malicious spirits.

Strengths: Magical, experienced hunter, master strategist, clever problem-solver, inveterate liar.

Weaknesses: No opposable thumbs, iron.

Pick one of the SEVEN DEADLY SINS that your character relates to, and one that your character does not relate to:
Though she indulges quite a bit in almost all of them, Aithne is above all a fan of wrath, taking great pleasure in overcoming a challenging opponent or killing elusive prey.

She is hardly greedy at all, having little interest in material things she cannot eat.

Pick one of the SEVEN HOLY VIRTUES that your character relates to, and one that your character does not relate to:
Aithne is very prudent. She can be counted on to find a way to accomplish what she wants with minimal effort.

She is not one for hope, preferring a future she can be sure of. If it doesn't look like that's the future she's likely to get, she'll take steps to change that. If it is beyond her power, she'll accept things and roll with it.


--HISTORY--
Setting: Modern day, real world (as much as any of this is "real world").

Family/Friends: The Pride of Eblana. A group of Cat Sidhe built more on common interest than family, Aithne and her brother Bran were nonetheless born into it. The unifying factor of the Pride of Eblana is wanderlust and high ambition: they like to see the world, and make their mark in it, ideally a mark no one will ever tie to them. Some claim to be the cats referred to in legends, such as Puss in Boots, or the creation of the Chinese zodiac. Perhaps this is true.

Background: Raised half in the countryside around eastern Ireland, half all around the world. With the Pride of Eblana, she travels frequently, whenever the whim strikes one of them to observe, participate in, or instigate an interesting event somewhere. Though she claims to have visited Teddy Roosevelt, Louis XIII of France, Cleopatra, the Pied Piper, and many others, it is unclear how much of this is true.


--COMBAT--
Fighting Style: Aithne is a hunter first and foremost, tracking and then stalking her prey. Keen to observe her target in order to understand it fully, she tends to stare at it from a distance for hours or even days before making her move. This can serve a dual purpose as "haunting" a more intelligent being, unnerving them and thus getting them to behave as they wouldn't normally, making them more inclined to make mistakes.

As her claws are little more than painful to a human-sized opponent, she will avoid direct physical conflict, usually by running and hiding, though if necessary she will spring at an opponent's face, claws flailing madly, to create an opening to do so.

No stranger to hunting larger prey, she will usually kill with poisons, traps, or arranged "accidents", though with long observation and a sharp strategic mind, death can come from many different sources.

Weapons/Gear: Aithne carries no permanent equipment, but will make use of what she can find around her, such as a needle held in her teeth, or a razor blade gripped between her foreclaws and dewclaw.

Unusual Abilities:
Intelligence: She's a cat. A cat who can talk, and beat you at chess. That's pretty unusual.

Sees spirits: Aithne can see spirits, be they mystical beings or the souls of the not-departed-enough. This is very rarely useful, as most such spirits cannot interact with the physical world and those who can are rarely willing to help. More often, this makes her come across as schizophrenic as she watches or talks to things no one else can see, or jumps and runs away when nothing seems to have happened.

Heals quickly: Whatever doesn't kill her (or amputate something) won't last more than a day, and minor cuts and bruises are often gone within minutes. The exception is wounds inflicted by iron.

Unnerving stare: More than just the effect of a strange cat watching you from afar and impossibly repeatedly showing up, this is actually a minor supernatural ability. Anyone she is deliberately haunting will experience increased anxiety, and can develop a paranoid preoccupation with her.

Harmed by iron: Even touching it will cause a burn. If it pierces the skin, her health will continue to degrade for a while after, as if she'd been poisoned. Injuries caused by iron do not heal faster than on a normal cat. Mint serves as an antidote to the poison effect.

Physical Attributes: Tiny, quick, weak, and frail, much like any other cat. More agile than most cats, and stealthy enough for it to be mistaken for supernatural. Bigger than your average cat, but small for a Cat Sidhe.


--TOURNAMENT--
Your character is invited to the tournament by...: Death

Why does your character want to be a death god?: To her, a globe-spanning unending hunt of the ultimate prey sounds like Heaven.

Reaping style: She would treat it much like she treats her hunts now.

Team: The Pride of Eblana goes everywhere together, and the Underworld is no exception. The established tradition, however, is that whoever wanted to come does what they came to do, and the others stay out of their way, so they're more spectators than teammates. They're not likely to even interact with the judges or competitors, and prefer to stay out of sight entirely. Still, death god applicants may catch a glimpse of a cluster of cats sitting in the shadows, watching the competition, especially Aithne's matches.

Like Aithne, they are all sapient, see spirits, heal quickly, and are hurt by iron. Only a few are hunters of greater aptitude than your average house cat. Several have abilities of their own, as per their own interests, talents, and specialties. All are black cats with a white patch on their chests.

Vortigern, the Pride's leader, takes particular joy in conning people of great authority. He claims the tale of Puss in Boots was based on his manipulation of King Louis XIII, and to have once been a pet of Bast herself. At 28" long and 35 lbs., he is large even for a Cat Sidhe, and rather fat. He wears an eye patch.

Aithne's brother Bran studies death, both scientifically and philosophically. He loves to know how it happens, why it happens, what it effects, and what this all means. He likes to bring the Pride of Eblana to the deaths and funerals of highly influential people. By appearance, he is nearly indistinguishable from his sister, but is right pawed.

Deverell prefers to delve more deeply into the magic inherent in fey. He likes to visit places of magical significance, both current and historical. He claims to have once been apprentice to the Pied Piper, and to have taught magic to humans across Europe into America. That this later led to witch hunts and the condemnation of black cats is his deepest regret. Ever-ready to produce medicinal herbs and potions, but from where is anyone's guess. His white spot is much larger than most, for the full tuxedo-cat effect, as well as a white "mask" around his muzzle.

Are you okay with other tournament entrants KILLING your character in their tournament writing?: But of course!

Are you okay with other tournament entrants using your character in their tournament writing?: I would be overjoyed to see this.


--LAST WORDS--
List the three most important things about your character.
1. Is in many ways a normal cat. A cat except as noted.
2. Does it for the thrill of the challenge and the kill.
3. Has no "set" way to kill a person, will invent one based on circumstances.